I want to know
by Isaki-chan
Summary: The war between Demacia and Noxus lasted since the early Valoran. The story is focused on the disparition of the General Du Couteau and what he left behind.
1. Chapter 1

"I want to know"

Fanfiction

(League of Legends, Katarina, Talon, Riven, Yasuo, Demacia, Noxus, etc.)

#1: This ff is for my ex girlfriend.

#2: I apologize for "improving" the lore, so this is the reason I might make a lot of temporal mistakes, but I am not the only one who didn`t read the whole League of Legends lore.

#3: Yes, the title is inspired by a song. (Kill la Kill reference)

Chapter 1 – The Street Rat

The Valoran, the war and the undying hate between states. There was a constant war between Demacia and Noxus, implying their allies.

* * *

><p>The thin hours of the further morning shades the Valoran`s weight. It was too early for the rise of the golden sun, but the thick forms could be easily definite. A large valley just after you down the mountains. Yet straight ahead, there was another mounts barrage till the reaching point.<p>

For a short legged walking hammer, it would last an eternity to travel all the way, but his excitement lingers.

"Over the mountains and far away, for ten long years he'll count the days." The hammer sings with a low female voice swaying a little by the little legs. As the light starts to cover the landscape, the big hammer gets a better sketch. It defines a female yordle with two moon-blonde twin tail and petite armour. Her face was nothing like she was enjoying what she`s doing. It was disgust and bolt imprinted on her forehead, while her eyes color the ugly side of war. The rugged iron.

"Over the valleys and the hills, an emissary's life for him there'll be." She continued the song with the same low tone walking the serpent raw road to pristine state of whole Valoran. Demacia.

#4: The song is a remake of Nightwish – "Over the hills and far away"`s lyrics.

Noxus. A place for those who can survive.

Like in a movie where the start runs in better story later, there were two boys stealing from an old merchant. One was distracting him and the other grabbed a few oranges, then run. The merchant anger could be hear through the streets, but they run faster.

As an unskilled street boy, it is hard to make it through. Having no memories till about 8 years old and wearing a foster name, kid Talon hangs around the noxian slums stealing food and money. He used to have a friend who helped him doing that so. They stick together until Talon realized that he is not helping him much, actually he was a good for nothing parasite. After a short fight, his mate jumped with a knife to stab him. It ended gore. Talon survived with a few cuts and scratches, but his friend got deadly stabbed. The scene was macabre covered in blood as the the other boy died with open eyes. It was one of the cruelest lessons in slums.

* * *

><p>Once in a while, one of the best noxian generals came in slums with some business. He took all the measures to not be recognized by possible acquaintance of army, but something when wrong. He used to have a golden watch with him as tribute for his ancestors, and for some reason he had to slide through the crowed square of merchants. At a point he bumped into a boy who apologized fast and run. The general gave him a light glare noticing an abnormality.<p>

That kid was Talon and he just stole the general`s golden watch, quickly making room through the people and stopping into his friendly back alley.

"That one must be rich." The dark haired boy thought and curiously opened it. He found a small piece of paper.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in Demacia, Poppy was received as an emissary from her native land. The crown prince of Demacia saw her with kind eyes, patting her bun tails.<p>

"Stop doing that, Jarvan." Her bitter voice completed the not amused yordle face.

* * *

><p>As Talon`s fingers started to unfold the piece of paper, he felt a sober breath under him and a cold blade pointed at his neck.<p>

"I can`t believe I have to waste my time with you, kid." The undercover general, takes off his dark gray hoodie pointing the knife at the kid`s neck and with the other hand grabs the piece of paper. "I want my watch back too."

Talon`s luck wasn`t on his side, but he wasn`t frightened of death. He thought he already knew everything about this ultimate topic, so he slipped away from the man`s hand, keeping the watch close to his chest, yet giving a playful stare before the general started to chase him. Not so many would chase a street rat like Talon, because he knows every escapes route.

"It`ll be a shame for a rich man like you to chase me for a watch." The boy jumps over some barrels getting advantage of his light body and buys some more time analyzing the watch. It looks pretty expensive, so he couldn`t give it back. On the edge were written "Du Couteau" a french name, which made it even more expensive in the boy`s eyes.

"It`ll be a shame if I`ll let you have it!" The general laughs bitter and throws enough blades to pin Talon`s clothes to slow him down. His anger made him even reach for vital parts, but he controlled himself enough to take it as a little game. That watch was stained with blood for ages, but for some reason he found something interesting in that boy.

The street boy run through the blades, even if some reached him and cut through his ragged clothes. He didn`t gave up. He didn`t plan to give up anyway!

At the next street corner, he bumps into a few guys trying to steal from a little girl and he didn`t have time to dodge. A slap. Two. Three. Then he didn`t remember what happened next but he could hear the little girl crying and a few sequences colored mostly red. His might be broken.

* * *

><p>Noxus, a place for those who can make it through. Talon couldn`t. He could feel his legs being warm once in long time. The bed felt so warm and soft, nothing like those rags he used to call bed back in slums. And he opened his eyes noticing the big bandage on his nose. He was right. He broke his nose back then in the alleyhood, but he wasn`t sure who punched him so bad. As his eyes rolls around the place, he sees a luxurious room. Indeed. Even if he blinks a few times, it stills the same. He wasn`t dreaming. Perhaps died and went in Heaven, but he wasn`t too... kind person to go there and this was definitely not how he perceived the Hell.<p>

Suddenly the door opens and the dark haired kid gets a defense fighting pose, jumping out of the sheets.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Du Couteau

The general came inside the room where Talon rested for a few days. He was pretty surprised to see that he could actually get out of bed. With a light attitude, he ignores the restless boy and leaves a few clothes and some bandages.

"It`s been already three days, you know..."

"Who are you?" The kid got it straight to the point.

"Eh?" The noxian general looks at him confused and sighs helpless. "I thought you`ll not wake today. But I brought you some spare clothes though. Sadly, this is what slums breed.. " He comes closer to check Talon`s wounds, but boy dashes back with anger running through his veins ready to start a fight even without weapons.

"Who the f ck are you and what is this place?"

"Who...?" The noxian man stops at a certain distance feeling pity for the boy, then regains his rich man attitude laughing in Talon`s face. "I`am General Du Couteau. And you?"

After a moment of silent tensions, the general takes a seat on the edge of the bed and grabs Talon`s arm grabbing him closer.

"What...?"

"You didn`t know those rogues who stole from the little girl in the back ally, but that didn`t stop me breaking their bones." The man started to tell what really happened. "After I got a hand on you, you gave up too early for a cooky bum. Then I could have an upper hand over those guys from slums and save the little girl."

"So?" Talon wasn`t interested in the story and his attention was stole by the wealthy things worth to steal.

"I had real things to do in slums, but I had to quit because so many random people saw my skills. The gossips are not friendly anymore when you are an important person." The man turns the boy`s head with one hand and holds his head in a fixed position. "All of this because a rat like you wanted to play a game."

Talon`s eyes widen for a moment. He could taste the silent rage in the noxian general`s bitter words.

"But I spared your life." The man added and breaths in calming down.

The truth was that the noxian man could swear that Talon saw the paper hidden in the golden watch. As the boy didn`t die back there, the general couldn`t allow him to go free, so he took him home. His secrets were more important and he starts posing as a good wealthy man for the poor boy.

"I like your guts, kid. I can train you to become stronger." His hand ruffles Talon`s hair in a father like posture. "So, what`s your name?"

"T-Talon." He gasps uncertain about what just happened and how this man is not angry at him.

* * *

><p>Poppy met the other elite soldiers of Demacia. One of them, a strong man on steroids with heavy shoulders, started to poke at her short stature, while his ionian friend with long ponytail chuckled behind.<p>

"You better watch your own business, big guy." She growls ignoring the rudeness.

"It`s funny cause you`re so small and you can handle a hammer." The ionian one added with a friendly voice, while the bigger one laughed and patted her head.

"I`m Garen. Garen Crownguard." He answered to the mean yordle and offered his hand to be shook.

"Poppy. Nice to acquaintance you." She shakes his hand wearing the same cruel eyes.

"It seems like you are always mad on people." The ionian said looking at her big hammer.

"..." Poppy tilts her head not impressed.

"I`m Xin Zhao. From Ionia. I live and fight for Demacia." He smiles kindly at her showing the face of a good man, but he didn`t get her attention, instead she backed up her hammer and crossed her arms.

After a moment of stress between them, Garen laughs at Xin and slabs his back.

"I don`t like you guys." She looks at them not taking them seriously at all.

* * *

><p>Du Couteau mansion was a really big place dight with expensive forms of art on each corridor. A real french house. As young Talon came down for dinner, he constantly thought about not touching anything because the noxian general will not spare his life a second time. The boy was silly at this point, but as long as he got his word that he will live here and his eyes will see these nice pieces of art for rest of his life, his renegade inner must be controlled.<p>

Just before the great large stairs, he could see a big painting of a red beard man looking almost similar with the general wearing the same watch he wanted to steal. He never saw such painting before. The wrinkles and the scars looked so real and it make Talon`s spine to chill for a second.

Shyly he downs the stairs looking over the other members of the general`s family gathered at the big table. Two girls dressed like princess from fairy tales and a spare chair for the missing one. He thought that his wife must be dead, so he didn`t say anything and lowers his head in front of the man who spared his life, then takes a seat near one of the girls.

"Good evening, Talon" He said with a gladly tone cupping his hands. "These are my daughters. Katarina and Cassiopeia." But the boy didn`t listening and again and his eyes were searching for information on their own. The red haired girl looked about his age and as his eyes were on her she chuckled covering her mouth.

"So his name is Talon?" The older girl said rolling her eyes with a superior attitude, but not because he came from streets, just because that was her usual self being.

Her father gave her a stare asking her to not be rude. Talon was used to guess the other`s words even without talking, so he understood that the older girl wasn`t friendly, so he has to avoid her in future.

To surpass the silent and awkward moment, the general coughed preparing to eat.

Talon shrugs ignoring the scene, imagining the further train with the general.

* * *

><p>In a while Demacia is ready for war. Poppy is one of the top soldiers, being covered by the big shadow of Garen. He was so big, he covers her entire silhouette with his great shade.<p>

"You are really big, Garen." Xin came from behind and pokes his ass with his spear.

"Oh, stop you two." Poppy rolled her eyes being used with their silly jokes.

* * *

><p>In Noxus, Talon started the training with the general and his younger daughter. Even if he forgot her name in the first instance, he could hear him shouting her name at every mistake. "Katarina!" It was boring to watch how a girl fails her darts test and her father wanted perfection. After all, Katarina was a wealthy girl and she doesn`t have to go rough like those tramps from slums.<p>

At a breathing break, the red haired girl checks her patched hands. He assumed it might hurt, but it wasn`t his business though, so he stood there checking his own scratches.

"Hey, rat, how do you like the training with my dad?" Katarina wildly appears in his face. Her big green eyes proved an excited behavior even if her father were mad at her.

"..."

"You always seem off mood. Something wrong or is this just your normal self?" She checks him from close up didn`t noticing a change, nor a blink from him, only a cold glare. In her eyes he was nothing special, but there was something that bothers her and she actually felt good to call him rat because he never answered back.

"I just expected to play something more fun than darts." He answered in a while and she got excited at every word he said. Why? Because she didn`t have friends before. Not about her age. Only her sister was the closest, but they didn`t share same ideals. Cassiopeia likes jewelry and dresses, while Katarina chose the assasin`s way. She always had a thing for sharp things like her father`s blades and it all started as a darts play.

"Do you call this darts? Maybe I shall show you my blade collection! You know, I want to be an assasin like my father when I`ll grow up!" She starts rambling about things that make her happy, while she was dragging Talon with her.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Riven, the Exiled

Three years passed since then and finally it reached the present day when Poppy joined Demacia as an emissary. The secular war between the two states resumed in battles. So many battles, so many dead bodies and hate. Their hate reached the new generation from the ancestors stories. This fact stained the general Du Couteau`s family for generations. Marcus Du Couteau, the actual father of Katarina and Cassiopeia, lost everything in this clash. The only things he remained bonded were his daughters, while his wife died not so long after Katarina`s birth, while he was sent to battle. He knew that not even noxian leaders were his true friends and he always suspected that her wife was just an innocent victim or the traitors. As Talon joined the house, he felt like entrusting him, but in the same time, he was skeptical.

Katarina on the other side plays tricks on the slums boy just to make him look bad in her father eyes. The general knew that and mostly ignored her rudeness, but he very knew that she wasn`t a bad girl. She just wanted to have some fun and he only could pretend to be mad at Talon for the moment. After all, he cared more about his daughter`s entertainment than the street boy, so he just watched Talon`s insecurity everytime Katarina asked him to do something not allowed just to break the rules.

And all this time, Cassiopeia ignored the whole scene. She thought that Katarina is having a play friend or maybe a friend to toy around. It has nothing to do with her anyway, so she returns in her mirrors, locking the door and admiring her beauty. After all she was one of the beautiful young women from Noxus.

* * *

><p>Garen smashes a noxian body under his feet, sliding his sword away. His face looked rained, but it was just the sweat and sorrow imprinted on his pale skin. That day was too hot for a battle and the heavy armour exhausted him. The sky was open and carefree turning his already blue eyes look like shining upon the bodies and blood all over the battleground.<p>

There was Poppy lifting her hammer stained in blood. Her cruel attitude made the blood on her face look like a normal behavior.

"Have you ever killed before?" Garen asked looking upon her small stature. His question was just informal, because she looked scary enough anyway and the blood looked like a pin into a princess hair.

"I can show you if you really want to know." She growls back tightening the grip on her spiky hammer.

* * *

><p>On the Noxus frontier, a tired grayed hair female wearing an ancient armour drove crazy. Her rage was unlimited, as her woman biceps could bear the weight of a longer sword than her whole body. After she winded them up and cut their bodies like a scythe shaves the grass, a few dared to stand in her furry. Her exhausted body screamed to be left alone. She was sick of their war and the past battles only destroyed everything she found precious to her. This was the last drop! After all her alike died she made up her mind. That couldn`t be Demacia`s will. No. It was Noxus that wanted to breed hate between his people. Noxus, that wanted to see the despair and devotion for the further battles. Noxus, that was ruled by traitors.<p>

A blood wave mixes with the poor air as her barbarian sword cuts through another noxian soldiers. The woman was too mad to stop now. Even if those damned soldiers stood in her blade, she couldn`t even feel sorry. Her selfish pain controlled her.

Not far from the massacre, an older Katarina, with focused patience was watching over the gray haired one. The red head was nothing like the girl she used to play tricks on Talon back then. She was serious and controlled.

"What are you...? Do you want all my attention at once?" The dirty female soldier notices Katarina as she sticks her heavy sword in the ground. That blade looked chopped by the damage it dealt till the red head made her appearance on the battle field.

"Riven?" Katarina spoke forcing her eyes a little.

"Heh. It seems you are well informed." The grayed one lifts her sword jumping at Katarina to finish the conversation. For her it didn`t matter who she was as long as she left behind her soldier dignity.

In a second, Katarina is kicked back and a bare arm wearing a forged blade crushes over Riven`s blade. There was silence.

If Riven`s eyes could speak it would tell a story. Her backup and her slums origin. The man who just stepped in was the same Talon who was rescued from slums by Katarina`s father. He cannot deny that he and Riven belonged to same sad backalleys of their childhood.

"Riven, stop." His voice was too calm for the angry woman, but raw enough to make her listen to him. Her damaged sword slips on the ground.

"Talon! Why are you here?" She looks concern dropping her deadly rage from a moment ago.

"I`m happy to see you too, Riven." He looks in his back for Katarina who just received a kick. She looked fine in his eyes, even if there was written "revenge" on her forehead.

"Why are you wearing a noxian uniform, Talon?" Riven goes on asking him and her voice melts the previous image of a barbarian killer. Still Talon didn`t care much why she killed so many people. He just wanted to stop her. That was his mission right there and Katarina wanted to prove that she is much more than him. She wanted to prove her superiority as always.

"You mad, Kat?" He looks over his shoulder at Katarina with a sarcastic glaze under his blue hoodied noxian uniform.

"Like hell, rat!" She gets up and pats her dusted clothes after reaching the ground in the clash.

Riven tilts head at the two. "Your friend?" She looks at Talon for answers again.

"I don`t know this girl. She just keeps fallowing me when I am in missions." He looks at Katarina with a smirk doing in on purpose. Katarina`s eyes were flaming in rage. If her death stare could kill, Talon would be dead already, but this was the challenge between them since the general, her father, uses to send them together in missions.

"Oh. Are you a soldier?" Riven gasps at the idea that Talon got in the army.

"Something like that." He returns his attention to Riven and steps on her sword. "From now on you are no longer in service." He said it as a noxian soldier would say. Cold and grunt.

"I..." Riven was interrupted by Katarina who came closer and punched Talon.

"That was my line, damn rat!" She growls starting to punch and kick Talon from all sides confusing Riven.

* * *

><p>As Katarina and Talon infiltrated on the noxian camp, they had to leave as smooth as they entered. The good part was that the night started to set and the twilight made them look like normal soldiers. Too bad for Katarina that she`s wearing leather clothes making her easy visible.<p>

"I just told you to dress like a soldier." Talon shouts at her pushing her to move faster.

"And I told you that I don`t like to fallow anyone`s orders."

"You didn`t listen to me because of your girl fashion side." He notices some fierce and strong soldier staring at them, but he didn`t stop arguing with Katarina anyway. "Too bad your girly personality reached you this late."

"What are you implying?" She notices that guy too. He had a scar on the eye and a husky stare at Katarina. His hands rubs on his axe`s handle and it made him look even scary.

"You will never be a lady in leather." He gave her an acid answer wanting to see her angry as result of his glumy childhood spent together.

"How about a mistress then?" She answered back stop staring at the frightening soldier on the battlefield.

"Well, f ck then. Hope that guy is a plain soldier." He let her win, but he was thinking about the real deal. Someone saw the general`s daughter on the battlefield.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - "You f cking rat!" -Katarina

After Noxus surrendered because of the Riven incident, Demacia returned to the previous serenity. Inside a large ceremonial room, the crowned prince Jarvan the 4th were delighted with the imperial musician`s play. She was a ionian pastel blue woman playing a chord instrument. Her long twin tails fall on the generous chest as her mellow fingers made a mistake on the chords.

"Ahem." Jarvan senses it, but didn`t complain. It was one of the demacian hymns that he learned as child. Unfortunately for the audience, the musician was mute, but in the prince`s head it was perfect. Even if it wasn`t a real victory against Noxus, the others rounded at the table drinks together under the enchanting music.

"Cheers, Sona!" Garen clinks his cup and Poppy lifts her forehead looking at the blue dressed woman who stops the song and giggles softly.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile on the Noxian shores, the Bilgewater pirate fleet rises against Noxus. Pirates downed the ships and started to steal and kill. Katarina was sent alone in mission by her father, while her formal mate, Talon, had to assist the general in other mission.<p>

Bilgewater had something to deal with one of noxian regions named Zaun. Some special poison containers from Zaun got missing and the pirates returned for more. As far as Katarina knew the story, so she was spying over the angry pirates.

On the other hand, the general and Talon arrived at the negotiating table with the main noxian strategist who ordered the capitulation in the previous battle against Demacia.

The general made a short sign to Talon before starting. At first, the raven guy didn`t get why he had to participate too, but he tried to figure it out. It seemed that the strategist accepted to surrender not only because of the rebel. There were secret reasons and as he checks in the general`s eyes, he could say that neither this one trusts the strategist.

"Jerico, the female soldier got exiled. I wait your further orders." General Du Couteau called the strategist, Jerico Swain, by his short name, giving Talon a new suspicion.

"Marcus, I am glad you entrusted me and presented me your right hand man. Now that I know with who I am working, I can..." Hearing these, Talon was about to burst out, but a large bird resembling a crow entered from outside on the wide opened window and landed on Swain`s arm.

The general coupled his hands chuckling at the private moment when Swain petted his crow, while Talon suspects everything and his eyes didn`t fall from the general.

The two men talked for long hours under his off-hand presence. The general laughed and joked with Swain, but Talon couldn`t forget the first glare like a sign when they gathered in Swain`s chamber. It was something that must be learned the hardest way for the adopted street boy. Now that his fighting skills were mastered, he need to balance the truth from lies and the right.

It was almost boring and uninteresting to watch the two telling stories from old battles, but when they finally ended the meeting, the general patted his shoulder reading his mind. "Next time, you have to tell your victorious stories to the further generation. Even if it`s boring for the teenagers, they`ll always remember something useful."

"...like hell." Talon growls pissed off fallowing the Katarina`s father on Swain`s unlighted corridors. "So what was all about?"

"I just wanted to present you to an old friend. He will be a reference icon for what will come next." The man wears a pleased smile all this time, while Talon was intrigated by the meeting.

"What was all about?"

"Talon. Take this as the last lesson." The general stops in front of Talon looking serious for a short moment giving him another hint that something is bad. "I am going to leave for a while."

"When are you return-...?"

"I can return tomorrow or in ages, but you have to know something!" This serious side of the general made Talon to remember the first day he meet him.

"...uh-...huh... f-father...?" His eyes search in confusion when golden watch was entrusted to him today.

General feels proud to hear the boy he rescued from misery years ago seeing in him a parental figure. The moment didn`t last enough as the corridor`s crushed on them. The man closed Talon`s hand telling him a few words and in the same time wanting to be sure the raven will take the watch and with the falling stones, he falls in dark destruction of the passage.

It wasn`t real. It all felt like a dream. A nightmare. Everything seemed to get clear when the black flakes disappeared from his view. The raven was lying on a cold paved street. There was nobody around that sole place except him and the birds. Suddenly he remembers about Swain`s crow like a flashback and as he reaches in his pockets he finds the general`s watch. It wasn`t a dream! The general is missing.

* * *

><p>In three days, the battle started again as Talon figured it out that it was Swain who ordered that. For his safety, he returned in slums. He didn`t feel like facing Katarina. He wasn`t even sure what happened back then. Too many questions and the general`s last words made him want to back up. Responsibilities made him realize that he is such a coward and maybe he was not worth from the start. After all he was a street rat from slums and he never knew that high life is full of double edged choices.<p>

But what he didn`t know was that Katarina was worried for the two men who suddenly disappeared. After Cassiopeia uses to go in dessert Shurima, not wondering what happened with her father, Katarina remained all alone. The mansion`s maids and butlers didn`t replace the missing ones and she didn`t feel strong enough to go and check what was going on. She just stood there waiting for everyone to return.

* * *

><p>It was withdraw. Again. Jarvan returns hurt from the demacian front line fallowed by Garen and Xin Zhao. In their back Poppy delays because of the heavy hammer. All of them looked exhausted. This war lasts forever and the battles are wiping their lives apart. As they enters on the fortress gates a young cheerful blonde lady jumps on Garen`s shoulders hugging him.<p>

"I`m glad you`re home, brother!" Her blue eyes sparkles in the sorrowful ones of the returning home soldiers.

"Hey, Lux." The strong demacian lifts her up with one tired arm.

"I just took the demacian magic exam! Now I can join the battlefield and protect you with my light spells!" She was very excited about the war, but for the veterans it was hell.

* * *

><p>And the battle ended as fast as it started. Noxus soldiers returned home too and Talon thought it is the time to face the situation at the general`s mansion.<p>

Katarina was so happy to see him home, but after she heard that her father disappeared, her mood went down again. He gave her his watch and talked with her to make her feel a little better.

In the end they started to fight again. He wanted to leave, she insisted to stay. He denies the offer and she clings on his arm. He shakes his arm to let go, but she continued whining and so on.

"You f cking rat! You belong to the family!"

"F ck off! I`m leaving."

"Fine! Until dad returns!"

"I said no."

"And I don`t care!"

She hangs on his back like a younger sister and didn`t set him free til his answer was by her side.

"I`ll stay around and keep an eye on what`s going on for you." Talon made his promise, but deep inside he was hiding the last words the general entrusted him just to make it less disturbing for Katarina.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Garen`s Protecting Hand

Time passed by and Katarina was in her 20`s. She joined the Noxian army by her free will. There was no newbie mission from her father and she didn`t want her special assasin training to be a big waste. As she joined the forces with the rest of the soldier, she could remember that strong one with his axe. He was Darius and his unfriendly face told her to keep distance, even if he kept staring in her back. Though he even looked older as his hair started to grow white.

"That red head is not trustworthy." The man grunted and clenched his fists looking over Katarina very obvious. In his eyes she looked like she craved for attention shoving her long hair and having an almost girlish presence. He wanted to see what she got.

And so he was right! At the midnight, Katarina left the noxian camp and she infiltrates in the demacian frontier. Probably she had a reason for this stupid plan.

Some demacians were guarding the line, so she run behind some tents, entering one just by curiosity. Her eyes grow brighter looking at a tall muscled man half undressed who just got caught with guard down. Her female instinct made her blush lifting her hand to cover her embarrassed face. "You.. hurry up and dress up, foe." She chuckled at the demacian.

"W-What is this?!" Garen doesn`t bother to dress up faster looking at the red head woman assuming that she is from Noxus. "You`re a spy!" He gasps and grabs his sword, lifting it over the shorter noxian girl.

"No, wait..." Watching over the strong man and his large sword, left her mostly speechless and frightened. In her mind she thought it must end there. It was a shame that demacian men must look so handsome, yet to be so dangerous. Not even her brother in law could reach such perfect body like this man from the enemy side. Wait. Why was she thinking about Talon in such a decisive moment? Indeed! He had to be here and save her! Why he is not...?

As her thoughts were fighting each other, from the outside the tent, some soldiers questioned the man about to slay her.

"Are you alright, Garen?" That was Xin Zhao who patrolled the camp and could hear noise.

"Uh..." Garen stood contemplating the situation and answered. "Yes! I`m fine. I`ll charge you in the morning." His big hand covers the woman`s mouth as his bare arm lowers the sword. She didn`t look dangerous but she was definitely a spy. "Now tell. Why are you in our base?"

"I.." She removes his hand gaining her stubborn personality back. "I am looking for answers!"

"Answers?" He tilts head in confusion.

"My father, general Du Couteau, disappeared in this stupid war between our states! I join the noxian army to find the truth!" She shouts at him and he covers her mouth again still confused of what she was doing in his sleeping tent. Yet the fact that she was the daughter of one of the noxian generals made him wonder why was he so lucky that night.

* * *

><p>Next days, Katarina was on the battlefield encountering the demacian soldiers. As Garen popped up in front of her, both smiled a little and started to play, not hurting each other. It was like a fighting chit-chat crossing their blades. This thing gained Poppy`s attention and also made Darius even more suspicious. He comes on her fighting lane and slammed his axe on Garen`s sword, proving his supremacy over Katarina.<p>

"This girl is weak. Don`t manage her." His cursed lips spoke for the first time near Katarina and she could say that Darius was a cruel beast just like his voice. He started a real fight against Garen, while the red head was looking over powerless.

The noxian man was actually upgraded as military general and he could kick Katarina away from the military service. His powerful hands bear his will axe, yet the demacian was a powerful force too. Their heavy weapons smashes over and over again with hatred. Still Katarina was wondering what the demacian will think now of her. She befriended him a night ago on their ground, now she was between Demacia and the angry Darius.

Her thoughts caught her with guard down again and two demacian soldiers attacked her, pushing her down and cutting her left eye.

"Gaaaaaaaaah!" She fights to get up, but they pinch her down. Garen escapes as fast as he could, getting Darius axe right in his back. His pain was nothing for a strong man like him, but he reached Katarina, covering her from his people attacks and receiving Darius furry in his back scraping through his armour.

"Katarina..." The blue eyed demacian was exhausted already and Darius annoying axe didn`t let him alone. He didn`t move, he protected the noxian woman with his bare body. "Just hold on." His hand touched her face imprinted with panic and blood. He couldn`t tell if she was scared because of the pain or the loose. Though it might be a probability that her eye was alright, so he had to check it. His bulky fingers opens her cut through eye even if it might hurt Katarina. Her scared green pupil was drawn in red. It was blood continuing flowing from the cut, but the man was fine to know that she didn`t lost her right eye sight.

"Step aside from her, demacian!" Darius rages behind trying to move the heavy thing called man or at least how a man should look in Demacia.

"You`ll be fine, Kat." Garen continued ignoring Darius axe in his ribs.

With her eyes forced close in pain, the sound of her short name spoken my a male voice, reminds her of the times she wasn`t a soldier and she was just playing darts in the back yard with Talon.

In a while, she felt the heavy man stepping aside from her small body and as somebody picked her up. Her consciousness felt asleep.

When she could open her eye again, she was home. The battle ended and her demacian savior returned home.

It was the time to see her face. Her fingers checked the raw scar. As she picks a round mirror from her sister`s things, her face stood emotionless for a moment. She gained everything she could to discover how she actually felt. Nothing. Her lips curves into a fanatic laugh. She started to laugh at her own pain. It was pointless to feel anything else except revenge. She wanted to revenge herself. She wanted revenge for everything. For her father who disappeared, for Cassiopeia who went in Shurima, for Talon who wasn`t there for her, for Noxus fighting Demacia, for every single one who left her alone in the Du Couteau mansion...

She takes her favorite blades and kisses them. They never left her behind like humans. Now the younger daughter of the general Du Couteau made up her mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Christmas Night

It was Christmas in Noxus. Du Couteau house looked empty, but Katarina got used to it. A few nervous maids who were staying in the mansion over the winter celebration were gossiping. The best answer why they didn`t leave for Christmas was because their crushes didn`t noticed them. So they kept dreaming and making scenarios. While Katarina was indifferent about these kind of things. Even for her split mood, the end of the year made her anger melts. She didn`t feel sadness, nor please.

As the night started to set and in the deep blue horizon the few snowflakes started to fall shyly like there was no place for them in the morning, the red haired was leading to her room. Inside the corridors was warm enough for her to wear a night sweater.

She arrived in her room and collapses on bed waiting for the next day. Definitely she will receive some gifts under the christmas tree, even if she wasn`t a child anymore. Her servants were nice people. But no present will cure her loneliness. After her father disappeared, Cassiopeia run in the dessert for gold and men, Talon left her behind and now this ugly scar ruined her face, she promised revenge. She promised she will find out what happened to her father.

Her thoughts run dry slowly into dream land.

At a certain moment, she could hear something in the window and wakes up confused. It was Talon! She opens the window large enough to hug him.

"Wait." He stops her because he knew he was dirty and cold. He hands her a scroll with the Noxus emblem. "I have a message for you. It`s from Swain."

"Talon!" The red head grabs his arm anyway dragging him inside. She noticed that he returned in slum and she felt pity and her eyes were begging for him to stay.

"Oh. And I have a present for you." He gives her a small red box. "Merry Christmas, Katarina." He smiles like nothing happened all these years when he was gone. Usually Katarina will be mad at him, but her noxian woman`s strength grabs him in, then closes the window.

"I guess I have a present for you too." She surely didn`t know he will come, so it was only a lame excuse to make him stay over the Christmas night.

She checks her room after midnight to see if Talon was sleeping. She was happy to see him that night, but in the same time she was sad to see him wearing raged clothes. Even his hair grew longer and it was messy. Yet he didn`t even had time to argue with her, so this will turn into her happy memory. A silent night.

In the morning he wakes up early, ready to disappear just like he came. But Katarina was up too, even ready to pinch him down with her knives.

"What the f ck?" He growls annoyed when he sees the red head and her daggers.

"Where are you leaving?"

"That`s none of your concern, miss scar. Now if you don`t mind me, I have things to do." He smirks in her face like in old times.

She worked for long on her bitterness and his challenge made her hands trembles in excitement. She didn`t bother about the disgusting nickname and jumps behind him pointing her blade at his neck. "And why should I allow you to leave... alive?!" The tone of her voice grew highly strong. This is what she trained all this time. A bitter self of a woman who lives for nothing good.

This thing made Talon bursts out laughing almost face-palming himself. To his point of view she was pathetic acting so superior in his face. "I think you don`t know a few things, Katarina." He turns around as she lowers her knife but her attitude didn`t change.

"Eh?" Her sharp green eyes cut through him.

"Firstly, I was the one who rescued you from the battlefield. I had a long talk with General Darius in your sake, so you shall thank me." He wasn`t amused at all now remembering how hard it was to melt the sour military general. Besides no matter how Katarina changed, he will not recognize her superior image.

"Do you really expect me to thank you? You must be a foul!" Her voice was supreme again.

"At least be grateful to people who stand by your side!" His words were harsh. This new Katarina looked even meaner than before. When she was younger she was just challenging him, but now she means what she says.

"Those who stood for me are long gone." She frowns cupping her arms with the daggers.

"Then I should left you there between Garen and Darius!" He pushes her daggers away already at his limits. The way Katarina changed was annoying out of his head. "Too bad your father entrusted me with his last words." He sighs and ruffles her hair being sick of her.

"What?!" She pushes his hand away and her jerk mood drops. "What did my father tell you?!"

"Stop being clingy. I won`t tell you." He ruffles her hair to piss her off more. Therefore she returned to old stubborn herself.

"Is there anything you hide from me, Talon?!"

"Calling me by name, won`t make me tell you." Talon sighs checking his pockets so he can be ready to leave the mansion. "...and yeah, you can say that it`s a secret."

After Talon left Du Couteau mansion, leaving Katarina all alone again, this time he didn`t feel bad for her. She changed into another person. Even if he knew the war was hard for her and this must be her reason, he thought that she will understand and she will become more friendly with him by time passing. Wrong. Now she deserve to be lonely and sad. At least he kept both promises to her father and to her. She wanted him to not leave, so he didn`t actually leave. Just took distance.

* * *

><p>The raven noxian was enjoying the rare snowflakes leading through the forest to the exit gates. It was a shady day, a little bit foggy for this time of the year. There wasn`t snow, but the cold was enough to say that it was winter. The Christmas day.<p>

Talon wore kindness with him ready to meet an old friend.

There was Riven waiting outside the gates with festive red and white clothes for Christmas. "Long time no see, Talon!" She hugs him as he approaches.

"Hey, Riven." He hugs her back pleased to see her. "I see you are doing well outside Noxus."

"Oh, please! Outside the gates, I opened a bar. You should come some time and have a drink. Slums seem like not doing well to you. See how bad you look for the general`s adopted son." She sighs and pats his shoulders.

"Ah, right... I just delayed overnight at his place for Katarina."

"The red head brat?"

"Yeah. She turns to be a pain in ass." He sighs and both of them started to walk the empty merchant road to Zaun.

He figured it out that Riven`s bar is in that direction so he didn`t bother asking, but at some point an ionian bush haired man appeared in front of them and to Talon`s delight , the man was looking as ragged as him. Riven was about to wave at him, but he jumps with his sword without sheath in Talon`s way, parting Riven away from him with a wind blow.

The noxian man used to carry a steel blade on his right arm anyway, so it wasn`t a big deal to dodge an ionian sword, but he didn`t know this person before so it was pretty sure this was a confusion.

"Yasuo!" Riven jumps over the part when she was surprised to see the ionian and her inner soldier instincts drove her hand to the back tie for her now inexistent sword. "Yasuo, stop! Talon is my friend!"

The ionian samurai shrugs like whatever and took his sword apart. "If you say so..."

"Heh." Talon thought that was the shortest clash ever and lowered his guarding blade, but receives a fast punch in his stomach. "What was that for?!" He growls at the ionian.

"Just in case you are planing something."

"I don`t!" Talon whines like a child in front of the older ionian and Riven punches them both over their heads.

"Idiots." She growls and starts leading them to her bar.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Riven`s Bar

In the same statistical chamber of Swain, now an extreme elegant woman resembling a magician assistant was moving from place to place thinking. Swain`s face looked enlightened by a female presence only by his glimmering eyes.

"So you are not responsible for the general Du Couteau`s fade-away?!" The woman was impatient.

"Le Blanc, I thought you are smart. They seem tracking me, so I want you do something for me." He was calm wearing the same mask over his nose as his bird stood on his shoulder support batting wings.

"Is that so? Why am I indebted to you now?" She rises her eyebrow. Even if she wore strident makeup, her age could be estimated around age forty. Though her thin body shaped her pretty attractive.

"Mhm. You will like what I indebted you already." His laugh was sick and tedious.

"Ugh.. Okay?" She wanted to listen more, but she thought it might be a fun thing. After all they were former members of Black Rose. They had good times together, but something happened and he left for military and she took the leadership of the organization all by herself. Still they are plotting together things.

Swain drops his laugh into a raw cough. "Anyway what else do you know about the rest of Du Couteau family?"

"Oh, right. Did you hear that? Cassiopeia Du Couteau got an ugly curse from Shurima desserts. Imagine the most beautiful woman of Noxus turned into a... snake." Le Blanc giggled behind her hand starring outside the window where a lot of birds were crowded on the winter sky.

"Snake?"

"Yeah. Half woman, half snake." On her face could be read pleasure and feminine jealousy. "I should feel bad for feeling good, but my youth will never return." Her mouth was cured into a grin as Swain gets up from his chair and comes to watch the sky with her.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Riven started to feel wealthy counting the money over the stand. Her eyes were shinning when the door opens. How unlucky could she be in past to be part of Noxus war against Demacia when she could open this bar long time ago. Her Christmas Santa outfit fitted her perfectly. Even if she was old enough having time to get exiled after joining the Noxian army, her bare arms didn`t seem too visible. Now that her large sword got broken, she sealed it away from her warrior instincts.<p>

"Greetings!" The gray haired woman gets up and invites the wanderer. "How have you been, Yasuo?" She giggles with half of her mouth knowing that the ionian got exiled too and he was broke.

"Hey, Riven." He takes a seat at Talon`s table knowing that he uses to stay in the same dark spot of the bar. "I still don`t get why you wear a hoodie inside the bar."

Talon sighs noticing Yasuo wasn`t sober. It was like he was drunk all the time. "I thought I told you yesterday and the day before, and a week ago..."

"Yeah... But you know I forget unnecessary things."

"Stupid drunktard."

Riven just comes at their table with a plate with two beers and definitely a nice girl expression asking for who is gonna pay. "How are you doing, guys?" She slaps Talon`s shoulder laughing innocently but with a noxian brute force. His face gets shady under the blue hoodie and pays for Yasuo`s drink.

"All for me?" Yasuo giggles in front of the two beers, patting Talon`s shoulder.

"I`m gonna kill you, Yasuo." Talon got a grotesque stare over the ionian, but no one batted an eye. Riven got her money and Yasuo got the drinks.

As they use to make a funny trio, the door opens again and Demacia`s Garen came in forcing his strong shoulders on the shaped door. In his back could be seen Xin Zhao.

"Hi." He saluted those who were already inside.

To Talon`s luck, his noxian uniform looked pretty ordinary and the bar wasn`t a fighting place. All his attention was on the certain demacian. Not like he was worried about Garen, but Talon checked with his eyes to see how the demacian`s past wounds healed. Everybody in Noxus feared the new hired military general only by his evil presence and those eyes. So getting in his chopping axe, would be practically impossible to get out alive. Unless you are a big mass of meat like Garen was. Therefore Garen could hang with his friend to have a drink, so in Talon`s mind it was alright.

Yasuo noticed his hoodied friend attention falling over the demacians who just entered the bar, but ignores it pretending to be drunk in his bliss.

* * *

><p>At the bar, Riven noticed undercover people working for the Black Rose. Sometimes even the military general and his brother. Demacians didn`t seem to bother with noxians. Even there was war, they just used to see each other`s faces, so it was something ordinary for them.<p>

But Riven couldn`t forgive Darius face. That scary and always grunted expression intimates her, while his brother, another one who loved to drink like Yasuo tries to flirt with her anytime he sees her. Why? Because after the winter was gone, the sprint brought the Easter. Her outfit was a playboy bunny. As much as Yasuo wanted to not look at her bunny bun, his eyes always slipped.

"What is it, Yasuo?"Riven laughs in his face bringing him another beer.

"I... I was just wondering... if you are free... this weekend?" He was too drunk to link the words and his reddish checks made Riven think he is just drunk.

"No, I am not. And Draven asked me the same thing."

"That one?" Yasuo hiccuped trying to points with a finger in the air after Draven. Riven laughs at his dizzy focus petting his bushy hair. His tired head falls on the table, while Riven pretends to not see this happening.

* * *

><p>As Demacia and Noxus took a break from fights and Jarvan`s soldiers started to hang out late at Riven`s bar, in Demacia Jarvan was guarding the girls. The beautiful Sona were singing for him and Poppy was delighting the Easter candies and chocolate giving an avarice look at the others so no one can steal her sweets.<p>

That spring was relaxing. In their Fortress, a stray dragon lady joined Demacia. Just like Poppy did a while ago. As Poppy noticed Jarvan`s eyes on the dragon girl, she always growled when all of them were hanging through the demacian gardens.

"Beware, Shyvana. He is the prince." Poppy was hanging on her tail trying to catch up with them because of her short yordle legs.

* * *

><p>One night at Riven`s bar, Katarina arrived rained from the outside. She heard about that place, but this time the rain made her to come in. Not like Katarina enjoy such places, but she was forced by surroundings.<p>

Riven appears fast offering her a seat, while her inner self was laughing so bad about the noxian girl. She remembered that she was Talon`s spoiled sister and she knew that there will come someone to pick her up. For example Draven.

"Hello, baby." He popped at Katarina`s table posing as a flirt. "May Draven entertain you?" Katarina ignores him wanting to order something, but Draven continued annoying her. "I bet you will look good in a bunny suit." And so he continued talking over Riven who wanted to take the red head`s order. "Oh, how about a sexy cat girl?" Katarina was at her limits. The annoying noxian with a funny mustache pissed her enough. She got up ready to shout at him, but Darius appeared in his back and she stopped and stared at his impetuous presence.

No one knew Talon was there, so he came from behind and takes Katarina at another table. She didn`t bother asking a thing as the hoodied man dragged her with him. Still her eyes were looking after Darius and so he was staring in her back.

"What is it, bro? Do you know that chick?" Draven didn`t know what just happened, but his curiosity drove him to ask.

"Mhm. Yeah." Darius replayed dry.

Katarina stood silent near the hoodied man in noxian uniform, till her curiosity made her slap his leg. "You! Buy me a drink if you hooked me!" She growls like a man.

"Damn. I thought my disguise was good enough..." He tilts his head allowing his face to be seen a little.

"T-Talon?!" She didn`t know it until he started to spoke. She was surprised to see him there, but she couldn`t let her guard down in front of him just there. "Buy me a drink." She pretends mad crossing arms.

"Ah... Here we go again." He remembered that he is used to pay for others drink. It was his daily routine to pay for Yasuo and now Katarina joined in too. At least he had enough money working for Swain from time to time, so he wasn`t a parasite like the exiled ionian.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – Well Placed Warning

After midnight, Riven wanted to close the bar. So she checked in Talon`s eyes that he`ll take Katarina home. She was too drunk to stand and he had the moral duty to help her. After all they were related by the general Du Couteau.

Riven gave him an understanding nod and watches the noxian raven carrying Katarina who was drunk and fights to not be carried in his arms.

"Oh well..." Riven sighs turning around to face Yasuo who waited for Talon to leave. "What do you want?" She frowns at him crossing arms, as he hugs her all of a sudden. "Oh, I just hate you when you stick of booze!" She growls and pushes him away.

* * *

><p>In his way to Du Couteau mansion, Talon could hear Katarina rambling about different things. As he knew drunk people speak the truth and he didn`t even asked her for more details, he could hear about Katarina`s crush. Garen from Demacia. To Talon`s surprise she didn`t have good tastes. How could the daughter of an well known noxian general like a man from Demacia?<p>

"Kat..." He tries to talk, but she was drooling too much thinking about Garen. "You`ll get over your first crush. You`ll be cured. I hope soon." He keeps her close to his chest trying to reach the mansion faster so he could go to his place in slums.

"No... Listen, Talon! You don`t get it... Garen was nice to me..." She hiccups dizzy trying to gain the raven`s attention. "He saved me in the battlefield..." She grabs Talon`s chin just to make him listen to her. "Listen, Talon... Wh-" He moves his head away from her hands. "What was your first crush anyway?" He gave her a sick glare as he already reached the stairs of Du Couteau household. "Talon...?" He was pretty sure that she didn`t know that she arrived home, so he ignored every drunk word of her. It wasn`t like he didn`t listen to her but the fact that she calls him by name made him even more sick. It was obvious that the first girl he could grow feeling for was Katarina, but she was always messing with him, so he got over it. As she continued asking him such things, he couldn`t show his sadness nor anger. Besides she likes a demacian and this thing is hurting his noxian male pride.

"Kat..." He throws her in bed and drags her boots off. "Go to sleep." He ordered showing a more mature attitude than her.

"Talon..." She whines rolling in bed still wanting to talk.

"Close your eyes and shut your mouth." He was already at the door, ready to leave.

"Where are you going?" Her flushed drunk face was looking after him. In his eyes she looked like a victim of alcohol, so he didn`t gave her any answer and closed the door. He was too angry to express his rage, so he went back home, in slums.

* * *

><p>Other day, behind the bar stand, Yasuo got used to drink without paying. Riven was too good with him because he was homeless, so she let him stay. His flirty jokes pissed her off, but she knew he was a kind heart man. He was guilt and exiled later from Ionia, but in Riven eyes, he didn`t look like a murderer. After all she was exiled too, so she could understand his pain drowned in alcohol.<p>

"Yasuo, is there any chance to help me with the costumers? I thought you`ll help me if I`ll let you stay here." She sighs rubbing her tired forehead, yet still wearing the bunny outfit.

"I was always scared to ask if I have to wear a bunny costume, so I kept silent about helping you out with..." He got punched before he could finish what he wanted to say.

"Don`t be stupid! Get up and help me with the orders!" She gives him an apron as she takes his seat behind the stand watching over her customers.

There were a few men from Black Rose organization who started to chuckle at Yasuo, but nothing much. The ionian tried hard to not make a scene and ignored their rude pinches.

As he returns at the stand with the empty plate, he leans over it looking at Riven with a handsome look. "They talk about their leader being a good f ck."

"Oh, really?!" Riven was holding her head in palm listening to what he said and she wasn`t sure if he was real or not.

"Yeah..." He smirks at her. "I bet she`s ugly as fuck."

"Oh, really,Yasuo?" Riven already rolled her eyes at his comments.

"Yeah... You are way prettier than every girl I`ve seen." His voice was matching a flirty chit chat.

"You should had ugly ionian women, then." She shrugs, getting up to take the next orders as Talon came in with his usual noxian hoodie uniform.

"No, I mean..." Yasuo stops her whispering something that make her cheeks grow red.

"You f cking drunktard!" She growls and punches his lower sides.

"Ugh...!" A poor whining moan could be hear, as Yasuo backs up under the stand.

Talon goes at the same table he was used to, in the darkest corner of the bar, stalking the people in the bar.

* * *

><p>It wasn`t something ordinary for Swain to come and visit Du Couteau mansion, but this time he came personally to see how the two daughters of the great general are doing. He came to check on Cassiopeia and to see if it was real, but Katarina didn`t say anything about her sister. This schemed him. His younger daughter started to grow up into a real lady of war. She didn`t show anything unnecessary and this fact infuriates him. But his real occasion to visit her, was to give her an important task.<p>

"I apologize for all these years, I didn`t come here to check on the general Du Couteau`s lovely daughters. It`s a shame I heard that your sister got a naughty curse. Miss Katarina, my regards." He jumps from her pity to his real matters. "But as you could see, our war goes anywhere without real men. They all work for their purpose. There are not so many like me or like our new military general..." He got stopped by a sharp glare and Swain backs up. He could read her anger. Her father was brave enough and now Darius took his place. The same Darius who watches her with bad eyes.

"I don`t feel like talking about the new general, so please, be short. What do you want from me?" Her eyes were cold and cruel like of any other noxian who faced the war.

"It is about your brother in law." Swain pretends to be hopeless in this matter. "He was there when you`re father got missing, yet he is hiding something from you. You should be careful, Miss Katarina. Not all men around you are worth trusting." He chuckles behind his mouth mask searching powerless in her eyes.

"You mean, Talon?! She sighs tired of Swain. "He is my stupid brother. What about him?"

"I don`t like to warn you twice. If you don`t do something about him, he will stab you from behind!" His inner was laughing malefic.

* * *

><p>Cassiopeia was in her room all this time. She knew that someone came in their house, but she couldn`t face anyone. In front of a broken mirror, her tears run dry. She was like that since she returned. No one knew that Katarina came in Shurima after her and tried her best to take her home. Her long serpent tail was so heavy to drag and it was too hard for her to move. Du Couteau household doctors assured her that she will get used with the weight by time, but it was too much for her. It was a shame that the beautiful and rich woman from Noxus got to bear this curse.<p>

* * *

><p>That night, Katarina returned to the bar to see Talon, but he wasn`t there and her sanguine personality bursts out when she sees the same annoying Draven trying to mix in her business.<p>

"Oh, God, please stop!" She rolls her eyes as Draven grabs her arm talking to her. To her surprise Darius was there too, sharing the table with Draven. "What the f ck is your problem?!" She roars at Draven ready to kill him.

"My lady, you don`t have to be so rude with Draven." The long mustache man used the third person to refer to himself, as Darius didn`t change his cruel glare. This time the military general bumped in the table and Draven started to excuse himself. "I only want to have a polite conversation with a beautiful young lady."

"Well..." Katarina looks confused at them.

"Mhm." Darius gets up with the same intimidating view looking at Katarina. "This... This one from here is my brother, Draven." He forced himself to not curse Draven in front of others, then turns his eyes on him and punches him over the head.

"So cruel, big brother..." The jolly man was setting back his hairstyle.

As they started their usual fight, this time in front of Katarina who just happened to be mixed in, the little demacian Poppy came at their table breaking the fun.

"Did you see a strong man named Garen?" She looks at Darius straight in face as intimidating as him. The yordle and the bare warrior stood there into a caught up death stare, while Katarina slowly makes her way out of the scene and leaves the bar.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Le Blanc Meets Talon

Darius and Draven used to go every evening at Riven`s bar. It was their favorite place to go. Somehow deep inside both were thankful to Riven for leaving the fight. She was so nice hostess and her bunny suit fitted her so nice. Draven always tried his pick up lines on her, but she started to fly in their faces a ring. Draven couldn`t believe that it was for real an engagement ring, so he continued flirting with her, even if she was totally off. Behind the stand, Yasuo was looking over the customers with a pleased smile.

"It seems like nobody believes me when I tell them that you`ll gonna marry me." Riven laughs ironical, not even believing that for herself.

"Let them think what they want." Yasuo didn`t change his pleased attitude watching her taking a seat behind the stand near him and starting to count the money with her greedy eyes.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the noxian slums, Talon got chased by a magician in the pale rays of morning. That was the first time he dealt with something like that. He used to be a normal human with quick senses, but those illusions were over his expectation. It might be the deceiving sun or the one getting in his range was a pretty woman. Yet he didn`t know what her intentions were. He heard about her anyway, but this was his first chance to see Le Blanc, the Black Rose leader.<p>

"It seems like it must be a very important task, if you came in person to fight me." He smirks dodging her sparkling cupping.

"How can you say it is me or not another illusion?" She smirks back at him, answering with a kick in his crotch.

As he moaned in pain, lowering his guard, he could see that there was two of them. "Well played, miss."

"Oh, please. Call me Le Blanc. I`m way to older to be called miss by a young man like you." She yawns and grabs him by hoodie dragging him with her.

* * *

><p>In Demacia, everything was worth a visit. No one was talking about war and they all heard about the peace maker bar of Riven. It was already summer and Poppy was remembering about her native place. As his mind was flying away, at the balcony, Sona was singing a melodic wanderer song that woke up Poppy wish to see her small state once again.<p>

"Over the mountains and far away, for ten long years he'll count the days. Over the valleys and the hills, an emissary's life for him there'll be." Poppy was nodding alone singing on Sona`s rhythm. The blue haired singer breaths in delighted to hear the female yordle enjoying it.

* * *

><p>In slums, Le Blanc took control over Talon. She tied his arm just in case he would turn violent against her. As she played the role of the master with him, she couldn`t giggle at the fact that Swain gave her such a task. It was like he read her mind. In her eyes, Talon looked so young, yet so handsome. As her fingers runs through his hair slowly, his eyes were frowning in anger and hate.<p>

"Well?" He keeps his voice stronger.

"Relax. I am not even started." She continued staring at him, cupping his face as she pleases. Her comfortable seat on him allows her to have a better control on the noxian guy even if his hands will escape from the belts.

"What do you want from me?" She didn`t mind if he looses his manly voice. Also she didn`t even notice that his death stare was hiding insecurity. As he thought before in the streets, he didn`t expect a woman to chase him and this one was nothing like an ordinary woman. He knew she had a stained past and Black Rose was a powerful organization in Noxus. So he tried to focus on her real purpose and ignores her touches, but damn, she got enough experience to hit his sensitive spots.

"You don`t seem like enjoying it." With her dull eyes she lifts his shirt up. After she slowly touched his neck, but his expression didn`t change. She got sick of him. Even if a pale reddish color bursts in his cheeks, she rips his shirt with her strong red nails. "I don`t like the way you are looking at me." She bits her lips putting a blindfold over Talon`s eyes. "Too bad, you won`t see anything I`m going to do to your body." She rips the rest of his shirt craving in his skin too as her senses were turned on by his moans in pain.

[Shall I continue this rape scene or not?]

Talon wakes up like after a bad dream. He checked in his bed for any proof that there was a woman over the night. Curiously when he woke up it was about midnight, so his room was already dark. Though he could feel the itches of her raw nails on his chest and back, he didn`t bother that he was naked and falls back facing the pillow.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Broken heart

One day at Riven`s bar, Darius and Yasuo were having a drinking contest, supported by Draven but in Talon`s account. The raven noxian stood behind their contest only paying for Yasuo though. As he felt asleep on the table drinking too much, Riven and Draven didn`t know who win, but Darius wanted to prove how brave he is trying to stand up held by his brother, Draven. Talon came at their table to check if Yasuo was really sleeping, poking his brush hair with a lame face.

"Hey, you!" Darius chokes on Talon`s shoulder while Draven helps him stand. Now Darius got two supporting shoulders.

"Yes?"

"Aren`t you that guy who sticks with Katarina Du Couteau?" His voice was stinky and funny.

"I`m her brother...in law." Talon lifts head to see that intimidating glare of Darius who never seemed to melt not even when he is drunk.

"Mhm." Right now Darius didn`t seem so scary because he was drunk, so Talon gave him a little credit for a short talk, while Riven disappeared from the scene crowding through the Black Rose hoodied guys and leaves something under the bar stand. She just received a message from Talon and she knew who she had to give it to. Katarina.

* * *

><p>As time passed away since Swain visited her, informing about Talon`s betray on her family, Katarina started to wonder what was the thing he couldn`t tell her back then. And this weird letter from him, sent through Riven made her be suspicious. Yet he stood around Du Couteau mansion and kept an eye on her. She knew she was rude with him, but he didn`t deserve her kindness. No one deserves her kindness. She wanted revenge for everything that happened to her father and her pretty face. Right now, even her favorite demacian, Garen, was nothing in her noisy thoughts.<p>

As she was staring outside in the night, at the plain starry sky, Cassiopeia comes in crawling and lifting to see the sky with her sister. Both were silent, only Katarina gave her a pathetic tired stare.

"What is it, Kat?" The snake woman had a brilliant gaze at the night sky, not wanted to be interrupted by her sister.

"Great noxian strategist came here."

"I know." Cassiopeia smiles delighted don`t turning to face Katarina yet, while the red hair was about to start telling everything. Her lips remained cracked wanting.

The serpent ignores the real problems. "It`s a pretty night."

"Why...? Why are you so happy, Cass?" Katarina`s eyes were sad and tired.

"I made up my mind. If I can`t be who I was before this curse, I will use what I already know about people and their desires. " Cassiopeia doesn`t want to see her sister`s pain.

"W-What?!" The red head woman was surprised and in the same time disappointed.

"I know you want to get a hand on Talon, but he was always a stray dog..."

"I want to kill him." Katarina interrupts her snake sister`s line, clenching her fists in the edge of the window, remembering when Talon came in and slept over night in her bed. If she only had the strength to kill him in that Christmas morning, she would be spared of thinking how to find him now. Though the rich red head was too shy to return in Riven`s bar in a while. "I won`t hold back! He is hiding something from me! My dad`s last words before he was gone!"

The serpent woman covers her mouth hearing her sister`s voiced desire. She never thought that her little red head sibling will turn against her favorite childhood human toy. She remembered when they were young and they were training in the yard on the mannequins and she was rude with him. She even remembered how rough their hands were and how they used to patch each other`s wounds like brothers. How could Katarina turn into such a heartless person? Cassiopeia wondered for herself in silence, cupping her cheeks on the edge of the window. "Kat. You were rude with Talon since when you were little. I thought you changed at some point, but killing him is like your father gave him a chance for nothing."

"He lied to me!" Katarina growls in anger. Her flushed angry face and the red scar on her eye made her look almost as scary as Darius.

"Do you think he will ever hurt you?"

"I don`t know."

"Did he ever hurt you?"

"No... but he`s annoying." Katarina started to be more concerned by her sister`s paced voice.

"Even if I didn`t show that I like his person in our house, he was nice with you when you are rude with him."

"He had no choice!" Katarina regains her anger on Talon.

"No. He could leave anytime back then, but he stood here with us trying to get stronger. He would never do anything bad to us. He respected out father way too much..." Cassiopeia starts to feel sad now remembering about her father and moves aside in silence on her hands. It was hard to keep the snake tail after her and Katarina`s mood was too much to deal with. She hated to play the wise old one with her sister, because the red head was too stubborn since childhood.

"Ugh... Cass... I`m sorry." Katarina sighs looking in her sister back.

* * *

><p>The little red head daughter couldn`t stay without running after midnight at Riven`s bar. Her sibling feeling told her that Talon might be there, leaving the most probably.<p>

Indeed. Katarina arrived just in time, when Riven closed the bar and Talon was outside looking for something or someone.

"You idiot!" She appeared from the night darkness right under his eyes to his astonishment.

"Kat..."

"I came to end all the business with you." Her shinning pale eyes carved inside his soul and he stood there waiting for her further move. "What is it that you can`t tell me what my father said back then?!" She comes closer almost whining and starts shaking his shoulders.

"What...?" He tries to not look at her affected reaction.

"Yeah...! I planned to kill you if you won`t tell me! My father entrusted you and you can`t tell me?!" She yells more at him, punching his chest with sadness and anger, but not enough to hurt him.

"Kill me then." He parted his arms with a cold expression.

"B-But this way, I will never know what my dad entrusted you with." She hesitates to punch him and stops her palms on his chest slowly moving to his neck to struggle him.

"Pretty accurate." He looks over her, as she was looking down, yet being so close of him. Her fingers around his neck didn`t seem to have the desire to hurt him. They were only cold on his skin giving him a sore shiver, but it was fine with him. "So? Are you going to kill me or not?" He gets his annoying manly attitude against her, but she wraps arms around him pulling him into a hug. She might be crying, his eyes were too scared to check it, but the poor noise she made like sobbing made him worried. So he hugs her back silent waiting for her weak moment to be gone. Still in his large perspective, he thought that she wanted to make him speak this way, so he didn`t give her more credit. He felt bad for her, but this is everything he can do right now. He rubs her back slowly feeling that her whole body was cold. Only her anger mixed with pain made her heart pulse fast and loudly.

"Please return home..." She huffs in his chest, hugging him even tighter. "Let`s be a family again. Cass is home with me now too. You are the missing one..." She assumed that her father is dead and so Talon realized that Katarina understood. He wanted to say something but he couldn`t. After all he didn`t know if he was dead or alive, but it was hard for him to take her words as a death spoiler.

"Kat..."

"Please..." She whines more opening her eyes and staring into his face. "Please, Talon..."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – The Gone Old Home

Talon returned in Du Couteau house. He forces his ruining thoughts about everything to stop. After all he did a lot trying to find out what happened with the general and everything he found was all spinning around Black Rose and Swain. He suspected them and tried to help Katarina finding her father, but she seemed like she didn`t care about him now. She changed and he could say that. So he gave her a break and returned home.

"You belong with us, Talon." Katarina was clenched on his arm to be sure he won`t do something and disappear again.

"Like hell I can escape this time." He was sarcastic noticing her struggling on his uniform, but she only tried hard to not start a fight again. His attitude always made her angry.

In a while they started to act like real siblings, while the war between Noxus and Demacia was delayed. Their fighters were having so much fun at Riven`s bar and their commanders didn`t mind it.

Also the three of general Du Couteau surpass the secrets and personal matters. Even Katarina seemed better and started to gave more attention to Talon, though he couldn`t see a nice person in the red haired girl. Trying so hard to ignore what he already know about this house and its members, Talon ended up skeptical about Katarina, while Cassiopeia looked like pretending to be happy as well. A half snake woman can`t turn into a nice person all of a sudden.

To Katarina`s excitement, his brother in law got longer hair so now she was playing with it, assisted by Cassiopeia who gave her hair pins.

"In the summer I used to go to the pool when I had legs..." The snake lady stood near Katarina while she was doing Talon`s hair. His face was silent screaming for help.

"Good idea. It`s already late summer. Time passes so fast when it`s not war." Katarina hugs Talon`s from behind who was sadly listening to their talk trying to not face the mirror because he knew Katarina made him look like a joke.

"What do you think, Talon?" Cassiopeia waves her long nails in front of him.

"I don`t know to swim." He get up, holding Katarina in his back manly.

"Or do you still have a grudge on us since we were only children?" Cassiopeia`s question could wake up what she wanted to hear from him. He was too calm these days for someone who hides the secret of her father.

"Pft!" He lets Katarina down and takes a seat on the bed near Cassiopeia who was laying her long tail in the whole place. "I`m mature enough to get over it." The way he said it, made Katarina come at his legs and hugs him. If he didn`t have to be nice with her, he would probably made fun of her for lowering herself so much in front of him, but he let it go, patting her hair.

"Oh! Katarina seem to miss you more than I do." The snake woman kept her shinny eyes on Katarina hugging Talon`s legs.

While Katarina gave Talon all signs that she might see him warmly, she didn`t know that Swain was planning something against them. The strategist gave noxian soldiers to demacian armours and sent them to burn Du Couteau house. He knew that Katarina can`t be trusted. After all Talon, who already knew a lot of things about that night when the general went missing, was part of her family. She was weak in his strategist eyes.

Even if it was summer, the nights were cold. Still in Du Couteau house everybody was sleeping. At the alarm of one of the maids, running in Katarina`s bedroom, the red head realized she was haunted by enemies.

Cassiopeia was the one attacked in her room, so Talon bursts in, slamming the door and seeing demacian soldiers turned in stone. To his over astonishment, Cassiopeia was down crawling her snake tail crying. He picks her up, even if the snake part was heavier than I normal human body, and takes her in the large hall. There was Katarina in her sleep shirt holding her daggers showing a sinister face stained with blood.

"Seems like you get angry when you don`t get what you want." Talon smirks in her face, trying to startle her even more.

"Shut up, rat!"

"...still weak ... hanging on insignificant things..." He keeps Cassiopeia up who didn`t know what happened between them last night and she didn`t even want to bother about their rough chat. "Better don`t let these undercover Black Rose people escape." He winks at her giving her a clue.

"What?! Black Rose?! You mean..." She didn`t have the time to surpass her surprise and jumps in fight throwing blades around her killing a few others. "How do you know that?" She wipes the blood on her face, while he sees another soldier wearing demacian armour jumping in Talon`s back. "Talon...!" The red hair gets in their way. But the noxian guy casually turns Cassiopeia to see and stone him.

"What a drag..." He sighs giving to Katarina a cold stare. "Your daggers can`t cut through stone, Kat."

"Fu k you, Talon!" She growls realizing that she got scared for his life a moment ago.

"Now, don`t cry, Cass. You did the right thing." He rubs his cheek on her hair. "If he would stab me, who would carry you?"

They made their way out of the mansion, as Katarina was clearing the path. Once they were outside, Talon could say that it smells like burning. Their house was set on fire by the Black Rose organization. Everybody who used to live in Du Couteau house stood in the garden watching. The maids and butlers carried a few valorous things out and took a place on the grass with devastated expressions. It was dangerous to work for a general of Noxus.

"Kat... Why do they hate you so much?"

"I... I don`t know... Only Swain came here." She tries to remember what have she done or maybe if Talon is the reason and their house is burning to ashes.

"In the winter, Swain asked me to give you that letter. I assume he came even in person..."

"He asked me to kill you." She interrupts him looking down. "Let`s forget about last night, but I still want to sleep with you if you let me..." She tries to change the topic, but the last things she said, made Cassiopeia`s eyes to narrow on her sister.

Talon didn`t know what he could say at that moment, but let her be. Now he knew that Swain wants to kill him. After all this is what Le Blanc wanted with him in the first place in slums. He can`t deny the general`s task, yet he is being caught between the things he has to do and the two sisters. "Kat. I am glad you forgot about that demacian soldier. It`s better to have less problems to deal with." He smiles for her, then leaves Cassiopeia down near the others from the house hold. As the house was flaming in his back, he breaths in and orders. "Everybody is free to leave home! I`ll take care of the general`s daughters!" Katarina and Cassiopeia never seen Talon so manly taking the role of a real leader, just like their father.

He picks Cassiopeia up again and takes her to a hidden location, being fallowed by Katarina in silence all this time. The red head girl trusted Talon enough to not ask more questions. The less she would know, the better it`ll be.

After a few night hours walking through the slums, the sun started to rise. Katarina opens the door of a cheap motel, making room for Talon to carry Cassiopeia. They covered her snake tail with some towels and Katarina tied her hair into a hat wore in Shurima to not be recognized. The red head ordered a room, even if he would complain about her, this was not the right moment. As they get in the room, they let Cassiopeia to sleep and cover the windows.

"Talon. Are you sure they were sent by Black Rose?"

"Yeah. I saw their insigns on the stoned bodies in Cassiopeia`s room. They were most probably sent by Le Blanc... manipulated by Swain." Both were whispering.

"Who is Le Blanc?"

"Their leader." He sighs remembering what happened between them in slums.

"Talon." Katarina sighs placing her hands on his shoulders. "After you left, you got in so much troubles meeting a lot of people. All this time I thought I was the one dealing with the war, but you were doing your part underground."

"Hey, Kat." He lifts her chin showing a carefree smile. "I still try to track the general for all of us. Don`t be sad in vain. I am respecting your father`s last words and I will tell you at the right moment."

"So you think he is alive?!" Her eyes gets bigger, as a thin blush rose on her face and her hands goes down on his chest.

"Yes and no, I don`t want to sleep with you while your sister can`t see us."

"Oh, you want her to watch?" Her voice was turned on.

"I didn`t mean that!" He blushes a little, but turns around and ignores Katarina for the whole day.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Separated Lanes

Katarina couldn`t sleep that day. Even her sister were snoring lightly on her side of bed, while Talon stood on the edge of the window, keeping an eye outside sliding the covers slowly aside so he can see what`s going on in the slum`s main road.

"Talon?" The red haired rolls in bed facing Talon`s back. She would ask more things, but he could be mad at her or plotting something behind her back. She tried hard to ignore her doubts when he returned in the mansion, but now she feels like asking for answers. "Talon. What do you hide from us?" Her soft voice was enough to wake Cassiopeia, but not enough for her snake sister to bother turning around.

"You want to know?" He sounds cold as always watching the street.

"Y-Yes." Katarina was afraid of his attitude at this point. A thin thought run through her mind that she might be guilty too, but she fights against her wrath and gets up from bed, keeping her knees in her palms. Her eyes were dull and apparently sad. "What did my father tell to you before he disappeared?"

"Mhm." His attention was in the street. He saw some kids trying to rob an old man and he remembers about his childhood in the slums. He didn`t want to sound like hurt for any reason, so he thought about the military general and his brother Draven. "Come closer." He longs his arm for Katarina to come at him and takes a look on window. "See those kids? Darius used to be like them too. He used to rob and fight his own way on the noxian rotten streets. Now you respect him as the military general. He and his brother dealt this misery, but today they are ones of the best noxian soldiers." He paused as Katarina was already hugged by his arm. She was silent looking outside the window. "...while you had everything being the daughter of the ex military general of Noxus." He turns his face at her looking from close up. That scar wasn`t a big deal in his opinion. He had worst scars on all over his back, a few on arms and the rest of his body. It wasn`t the actual training with her father, but the real struggle working for Swain all this time. When the strategist thought it`s enough, he asked for Talon`s head without mercy.

"Strong noxian soldiers grew up from slums on the hard way." She keeps staring at the kids out there. She might not know the struggle, but she could understand it.

"Also I am glad you forget about the demacian Garen. Being young and foolish is something normal for a young woman." Talon shrugs keep staring at her scar.

"Ugh..." She didn`t mind him looking at her from a close distance, yet she didn`t find it intimidating or flirtuos. Her usual anger on him mocking with her will burst out but she couldn`t say an word.

"Demacia is a lighter place than Noxus." He started again to make differences, but her expression look lost, so he added something about Garen instead. In Talon`s eyes, Katarina looked like day dreaming even if she stares at him, he felt inferior than the demacian. "Crownguard is his family name and he is one of the strongest soldiers of Demacia."

Cassiopeia lifts from bed curling her snake tail and ignoring the two in the room. "Can I go in Shurima?"

The red haired recovers from her absorbed disillusion being so close of Talon. At this moment she realized she didn`t listen much to his words, she was just staying near him. "Cass!" She gasps.

"If Black Rose people wore demacian armours, then Noxus will start fight against Demacia. I don`t want to be part of the war! Please, Kat, I want to leave in any second!" Her voice was whining knowing she is not trained like her sister and Talon.

* * *

><p>A few days later, in Riven`s bar, Black Rose members started to talk about Le Blanc`s death. Riven could swear it`s a trick, but it wasn`t her problem so she ignored them. Yasuo stood on the edge of the bar stand holding his jaw like understanding Riven without commenting a thing.<p>

* * *

><p>Talon and Katarina helps Cassiopeia to climb into a merchant car that travels in dessert. Just as the red head and the snake woman kisses and hugs for a long lost goodbye, some noxian soldiers tracked Talon down and the women broke the embrace brutally. The car started to roll as fast as the soldiers arrived.<p>

Talon didn`t complain and goes with the soldiers, pushing Katarina away from their way. "I don`t know this woman." He shrugs at them being helped by her disguise raged clothes. Deep inside, he wanted Katarina to understand him at least this time.

She didn`t know what happened exactly, but her eyes search for someone as Talon left her in slums street all alone.

* * *

><p>At Riven`s bar, the white haired exiled heard the news and welcomes Katarina in. She offered a spare room where Yasuo used to stay in the first place and gave her clothes and food. She planned to join their war and break their fun. Thought no one talked about Talon betraying Noxus, so she would hang the broken sword one more time for a friend. Despite that Yasuo wasn`t implied in her state business, so he didn`t have to know what she planed.<p>

"Yasuo, I might be going for a few days or maybe more..." She gave him a warm carefree smile, keeping her sword in one of her packages. "I will keep the ring you gave to me in case I lose my way." She allows Katarina to look at them when they have a departure goodbye. In the red head`s face could be sensed pain and fear.

"Just... promise you`ll return, Riven." Yasuo said reading her mind.

"Don`t worry!" She waved carefree as she departures together with Du Couteau`s daughter.

* * *

><p>Noxus was ready for battle. All those cruel faced men holding their axes started to move to the specific location of the ambush. A pale dirty figure moved in their back as the autumn wind blows her rags as warning. It was Riven. She starts from the back of the crowd, ripping legs and arms like a mad hurricane. "You better stay out of me, general!" She roars at Darius who was chilling with his brother in the front lines.<p>

"And what these people done to you, Riven?" He clenches his fists in his axe. He didn`t mind drinking at her place. War was the important part of his life.

"Are you... the bunny from bar?" Draven lifts an eyebrow curiously aiming his axes in her way. She dodges them, not answering, just fighting. "Hey! I`m talking to you!" The general`s brother growls getting into a close up fight with the white haired woman, while Darius stood in front line analyzing the real situation.

"They... They took Talon!" She kicks Draven at a certain distance shouting at him and preparing her huge sword.

He didn`t know what she was talking about, so he thought only about himself. "Eh? Are you planning to cut my head off?" He smirks at her rubbing his mustache.

"Only your mustache." She gives him a cold stare and from the other side, Darius waved his axe to gain her attention.

"And Katarina is now talking to Swain." The noxian general`s raw attitude made Riven stop for a moment. He was smart, he knew that the both noxian women parted their ways when they arrived in the capital. He assumed it right that Katarina went to investigate, while ambitious Riven will come on the battlefield to revenge the noxian assasin Talon. "Step aside, Draven. Riven is an exiled from Noxus. I am the one taking care of her." He comes closer ready to kill.

"Alright then, Darius." Riven shrugs with an expected desire to fight a worth opponent.

* * *

><p>But to Darius illusion, Katarina didn`t run into Swain, she went through the guards inside the underground jail. It was a cold and watery metallic corridor till she reached his cell. She could feel Talon`s misery in silence as he was facing the dirty floor. He might hear someone breathing in front of his cell, but he didn`t bother to lift head.<p>

"Talon?" Katarina looks up excited to see him in that way. Her mind plays with her, but she knew it wasn`t the right moment to start a fight. "What happened?"

"Hm. So you come after me?" He smirks in his pain as she assumed they beat him up before caging him.

"I couldn`t be a bad sister for you, could I?" She tries to hide a sole laugh, but her eyes were more exited to see him in this situation. She would shout that he deserves everything because he was a liar to her and her sister. "Now tell me, Talon! What have you done?"

"Stuffs..." He laughs too in his own pain, as he lifts his head showing blood and bruises.

"Too bad your marks won`t be permanent as my scar." She shrugs crossing her arms.

"Why are you here, Kat?"

"...to save you?" She tilts head, but she wasn`t sure about that, she only agreed to help Riven. Riven was the one who wanted to rescue him, not her. So he knew that Katarina wasn`t sure about her family feelings for him, so he let her be. He didn`t mind being locked inside the noxian prison. He knew very well that an assasin and also a spy for Du Couteau family can`t be forgiven or spared. Not even Du Couteau remaining siblings can`t afford to know his secret and all he did for them.

"...too bad then. You wasted your time coming here." He laughs in her face with deep hate that he couldn`t express in her face. "You better leave, Kat. Here is no place for you." As he finished his last sentence, a group of soldiers came right in and lifts her up.

Katarina didn`t see much things, but one soldier remained near Talon`s cell. She could swear that soldier was a female. The red haired instantly thought wrong and goes jealous.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Broken Exile Code

Le Blanc appears alive right in front of Talon`s cell surprisingly for her death announcement. Her first move was to pass through the metallic grates at him and cup his face. She has a deep urge to feel his flesh. Her fingers runs on his cheeks, through messy hair and landed on his shoulders.

As he was silent, so she was. They stood staring at each other. Her desire meets his hidden fear. Just like Katarina`s pleasure to see Talon that way, so Le Blanc feels turned on to see him beaten up and weak.

Though she sees him in a sexual way and never bothered to see him as friend. She broke up the tie with Swain and her real issues with Talon were for her own excitement. It was Swain`s fault to give her this first order. Now she is here to counter Swain.

All noxians were like this. They were two faced people. They fallow orders, but deep inside they fallow their reasons and break their honor for what they please. So like Talon, fighting between Du Couteau`s orders and his urge to find the secrets behind his missing... and Le Blanc, who is working under Swain when she pleases... and Katarina who shows her twisted young lady personality towards Talon... so like Swain, who used Talon`s in his matters, now he wants him dead... so like Cassiopeia, who got a nasty curse from dessert, but she wants to return there... so like Riven fighting to kill, yet opening a bar for peace days... so others like them...

Without saying anything, Le Blanc sets the noxian man free showing the keys.

"Why?" Talon gets up slowly gaining his forces to stand up.

"I spread the rumor that I died making them believe that I disappear from Noxus for a while. I knew nobody will believe me dead though." She chuckles but her attention was all on him. "You should go now. There is someone fighting for you out there." She shrugs, leaning on the opened cage. "...a friend." Le Blanc rolled her eyes.

"Where is Kat?"

"Katarina Du Couteau." She gasps annoyed by his overall sibling care. "Why you keep general`s secret and endure these for that girl?" Le Blanc knew what he was hiding from Katarina. It wasn`t her business, but it bothered her to see his favorite noxian young man dealing with Swain`s punishment.

"Just tell me!" He shout getting distance in the tunnel ready to leave anytime to save Katarina.

"Your friend dies if you don`t hurry." She didn`t refer to Katarina though, but she jumped over his question, wanting to see him more agitated.

"W-What?!"

"Better hurry." Le Blanc waves a flirtuos glance at him waiting him to run out of the noxian underground jail.

* * *

><p>On the battle field, Darius had slain Riven`s forged arm. There was her blood drilling on the raw rocks mixing with the dust. Her face was half stained in blood and her dirty hair was imprint red. She couldn`t hold her sword anymore now and that arm was the one holding the ring from Yasuo. As she thought that war is more important than personal matters, she took her last minutes like a real warrior. Darius was hurt too, but he got held by Draven, who poses a sad expression at his brother. His real sadness might be Riven`s Easter bunny suit for the bar, but also Darius didn`t look too healthy after that fight.<p>

"Riven..." He fights for air as he loses blood too. "Never understimate me." He growls holding his muscular stature on his brother`s shoulders. Though they were almost the same height, his armour was heavier.

"He..he... Darius... I shouldn`t broke the Exile code." She cough blood holding her body on the rocks with the left arm. "I only wish someone..." She couldn`t finish what she started and Talon came right there, holding her body with deep frightened eyes. "Talon..." She rises her one arm on his face, leaving a blood mark. "Isn`t it fun that I came to save you...?" She smiles in his heartbroken tearing lose.

He lowers his head on her chest hiding his cry out.

"The Exiled code said to not handle a sword after you are exiled. I did. I guess this is my punishment... Don`t cry, Talon. This is what friends do for friends..." She gasps petting his hair as his head was breathing in her raged clothes. "Do you remember old times in the slums? We used to share same piece of bread and fight together those dumb merchants to gain something..." She giggles a little while her eyes faces the hidden sun. It wasn`t cloudy, but the air seemed dusting around them, making the sun pale almost absent. "Back then, I cared of you as my little brother... You remembered about me when you left Du Couteau house... and came to see me... and payed for Yasuo`s drinks at my bar..." Talon could be heard chuckling at the last remark. It is funny that she remembers such things in her last moments. "Talon..." She paused thinking about Yasuo. This was for real and so he understood it.

"Mhm. I got it." Talon lifts his teary eyes to see her probably the last time. This made him an elite assasin and also underground spy. This is how he got Swain`s bad eyes on him.

"So your name is Talon, huh?" Draven was still there holding bleeding and almost fainted Darius. His arrogance wasn`t real, but he was more suspicious on him. He knew he saw this man wearing a hoodie all the time in the bar and almost being a persistent ghost.

"..." The noxian blue hoodied man didn`t mind bother with the two right now. He knew he can`t oppose the military general`s authority. Riven dared as an exiled and now she is on the death bed not literally.

The rocks under her looked as hard as iron parts. "Talon... I regret killing people in the noxian war. I can`t be spared now, but I`m happy to face the deads in the afterlife..." She smiles to the empty sky pleased with the end.

"Riven...!" He closed his eyes unmanly to let his tears fall over her face. "I will talk with Yasuo for you! I will let him know about your noxian honor! I will...!" Her eyes stopped fighting to blink. "I will...! Damn!" He roars in pain hugging her body. His previous physical pain in the prison was nothing compared to the lose of his childhood friend. "Damn you, Darius! I hope you`ll burn in hell!" The noxian assasin shouts fiercely enough to be heard by the two soldiers and also brothers.

"He will go there anyway." Draven sighed. He was used to see dying people, but this time Riven was a waste. He liked her bunny tail back when she ruled the bar. "Well, Talon... I shall take him to the infirmary now. He`s still alive... but he lost blood..." The mustache pimp looks over his shoulder at fainted Darius with a tired face, still waiting Talon`s approval. But he was too devastated to answer and Draven`s voice was annoying enough for his ears at that moment.

* * *

><p>In Demacia, the war was near. They didn`t know what just happened in Noxus front line, so they were leading to the war. Their souls were strong and everything that reminded them about the peace days in Riven`s bar was over. As Riven died, the illusion of peace was broken again.<p>

"Garen, don`t dream about that noxian woman. She might or might not come to the war this time." Xin was patting his friend`s armored shoulders as they reached the place were they should set the camp.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Rise of a Noxian Commander

Yasuo started to wonder around valoran again. His drinking habit didn`t let him alone and he was glad to know Talon. Sometimes they hang together not talking about each other lose. Besides, Talon didn`t even tell him that Katarina is missing. The exiled ionian didn`t have to bother with Noxus matters after all. It was enough he knew about Black Rose and the war between his state and Demacia. Exiled soldiers didn`t have to know many things, because it could harm them just like it happened with Riven.

"It`s so cold today." Yasuo gasps shaking his palms because of the cold wind. He was broke again so his summer clothes started to rag.

"Yeah, the winter approaches..." Talon tries to ignore him, so he won`t ask to stay over night at his place.

* * *

><p>After a while, Talon stopped searching for Katarina. He assumed that Swain made her disappear just like her father. He was hanging around with Yasuo all this time, showing the same Talon he used to be with people he knew for a long time, but deep inside, he lost his reason. When he was alone in his chamber in slums, sometimes he thinks that she will never return just like the general. It was a waste, his waste of feeling useful. Even if she wasn`t the best person she could take care of, from shadow, he found her worth his existence after he finished the business with Swain. He used to keep an eye on her all the time, mostly staying behind just watching. That last day in the mansion turned to poison his mind. It ended so fast and after Du Couteau house burned down, Cassiopeia left for dessert and Katarina disappeared.<p>

Looking around the room, he noticed Du Couteau watch in one of his pockets. He was sure he didn`t stole it. He forgot that old habit a long time ago, but this thing made him just wonder why would Katarina, the last person who owned it, would give the general`s watch to him.

As he was making up his mind, Swain`s bird arrived at his window with a message. His sharp eyes were fixed on the bird, but he didn`t open the window. Seeing this, after a long time, the crow leaves in the cold air. Talon breaths in and made his choice. He will forget about Katarina, but not about the general. Her memory started to become more bothering to him probably because they started to get attached by each other. This was the first problem when he arrived in house though. Training with general`s daughter, befriending her and all of these things, while there can`t be only friendship between two different gender persons. But it`s worth a try. A painful try.

* * *

><p>Riven`s memory vanished fast. It was like no one remember about her bar. The war started again and it was late autumn. The fallen leaves covered the dried rocks of the battlefield and the remained dead bodies. It was a cold feeling raveling Garen who fixes his blue scarf. Over the scent of war, there were still a few soldiers from Demacia. There was Poppy too and her big hammer was stained with blood at the edges. Her death of passion was real and her face proved the fact that she forgot to smile.<p>

"Hey, Garen...!" She turns around to see him, while the big shouldered man was looking for Noxus. "That noxian red head didn`t show today. Maybe tomorrow, she will be here." But the truth was that Garen searched for Katarina everyday. The war lasted a few weeks, but there was no sight of the red haired woman.

"Yeah... Definitely. She will" His voice was low and sad. He knew that he might not see her probably forever.

* * *

><p>As all hopes started to fade away from both sides, the next day of war in Noxus was dedicated to the new high commander. It was a female. A slender good looking female with burning fire hair. That was Katarina. All this time she took instructions and notes from the military general Darius and strategist Swain. Though they didn`t get along with each other, her reason was clear. Proving that Noxus is superior trained than Demacia and gaining their respect back through war.<p>

It wasn`t like Talon was on the battlefield undercover in noxian soldier clothes to check for Katarina, but he was there when she made her appearance. She was as beautiful as he knew her, but again she looked like a cruel assasin. He thought that these past days made her return to her dark side, so he let her be.

On the other side of the battle, Garen`s eyes were glued on the beautiful red head too. He thought he might dream seeing too much war the previous days and wanting to see Katarina so bad, but the lucky demacian had the chance to see his dear one right ahead.

"Katarina!" He yells trying to come closer to the center of war, when Darius`s furious axe bumped in his armoured big chest. He understands to stay away.

The red haired started to clean the field of demacians, throwing sharp blades in her way. They started to fall like potatoes sacks under her ravage, but as Talon admired her awesome soft striking skills, she stopped checking her hand. He assumed she cut her finger, so he facepalmed. That would be more like she broke a nail or something because she wore gloves without fingers. The noxian assasin made room through the noxian soldiers and reached her, pulling her aside. After all, no one could hold him back because his noxian uniform looked familiar.

"My sister is a badass, huh?" He grabs her hand to check the minor damage, as Katarina is astonished to see him.

"How... Why did you…?" She growls and takes her hand away. There were other important soldiers and also Darius, who recovered pretty well after his battle with Riven. "Beware! He`ll come after your ass if you don`t mind your own business."

"Just in time when I gave up on general`s last order." He smirks at her joking.

"What do you want? As you gave up on his last words, then allow me to tell you that I have to give up on liars too!" She shouts at him annoyed. She didn`t mind he escaped from the underground prison and just as he made up his mind, so she did. When she is alone, the power of her past training and solitude made her to become who she was supposed to be all this time. A cold assasin! But for some reasons, Talon always arrived in the wrong moment and destroyed everything.

"Kat. I can tell you right here if you want to know what your father said to me." He looked her straight in face. He could let it be this time, once and for all. He got pissed of her attitude and he decided this is the time when they can say farawell.

"Wait! Not here." She grabbed his arm as the autumn wind blows in their way. Her reddish hair was messed by the wind and she shoves her cut finger in mouth. "Let`s go to the camp." They start dodging the soldiers attacks, while demacians started to push.

"Katarina...!" He talks loud enough to make himself heard. The way he called her was also serious. "Your father asked me to take care of you...!" They steps over the broken armours and raw ground, trying to get away from demacian sharp weapons pointed in their way.

"What?" She yelled back as the thick sound of their swords and axes disturbs their chat.

"The last thing that your father asked me... was to take care of you!" He answers loud, trying to protect her more from the angry warriors. "He said that you are good with blades but you are not careful and he asked me to take care of you in your place...!" He finished what he meant and they reached the safe noxian camp.

Katarina kept her dazzled eyes on Talon after he finished what he had to say. This was the secret he kept hidden all this time. Even in slums, in the motel, she didn`t know why she was so soft when they were too close, but in this moment, after checking in the past memories to see if he indeed took care of her, he won the argument. It was all so clear and she always thought he betrayed her and her family. "Such a shame of me..." She mumbled getting distance from him.

"Let me patch your finger. You can count this as the last time I take care of you!" He takes some patches from his uniform pockets and both takes a seat near the camp and noxian equipment."A soldier always carry these with him..." He looks at her finger after she licked it and wiped it disgusted. "Mhm. Your father said that you are strong, so this is the reason he tough me to counter you if you go over limit." The noxian assasin attention was on a good bandage patch.

"Talon." She takes her finger away and he could understand how she might feel.

"Kat..." He paused and ruffles her hair with a fake smile. "I don`t know how to cheer you up." His voice was the same. "I`m sorry..."

"Idiot!" She cuts his apologize off with a question on her face.

"What now?" He looks confused at her matching her desire for hug. They hugged each other as she forced herself to not cry. It was a silent moment for both of them. He didn`t even know if what he feels for her is more than brother-sister love, but it felt good to hold her in his arms.

"Talon. You can keep my father`s promise. I bet he will be mad at you if you would broke it." She closed her eyes and let her tears fall.

"I will, Kat." So like he used to do in past, even if he wasn`t effectively near her. He keep an eye from distance, staying in the shadows. The general liked his presence near her, seeing him like his own son, always taking care of Katarina when they were training. Her father knew that could be his last moment when he could see someone from family, so he entrusted Talon. He put his trust in him, after he saw that the slum boy could turn into a fine assasin under his family name.

She lifts her head from his shoulder and wipes her tears laughing. "We can`t be sad for long. Still I won`t forgive you for leaving me behind and making my mind go dark after I got this beautiful scar!"

"You are still beautiful no matter what." He sounded casual, but when he realized that he spoke his mind like that, he covers his mouth embarrassed.

"Ahahaha!" She laughs in his face.

"Ugh... Anyway, Kat... The war is up there and you are in a high command place. You should be going."

She gets up and breaths in. "The war between Demacia and Noxus will never stop. But I must be part of it." She stands tall and gets her blades from her leg ties. "Blood for Noxus!" She shouts jumping in the fight as Talon looks proud in her back.


End file.
